Sleep Glorious Sleep

In this article, we talk about sleep disorders and disturbance, what they are, their prevalence, how often they appear, and what you can do to develop healthy sleep hygiene that will promote the healthy life you want.    

Sleep disturbance is one of the most frequent complaints I receive from clients.  Sleep disturbance can wreak havoc on your life and is a telltale sign of a larger mental health issue or perhaps that you are in need of a lifestyle change.  If you experience sleep challenges or have difficulty maintaining a consistent sleep schedule then this article is for you!

Consequences of Poor Sleep

I was recently reminded that there is a lot of misinformation out there about sleep and the health implications a poor sleep routine can have on one’s overall health.  Defying nature and our natural inborn circadian rhythm can create a host of poor health outcomes for us in our day to to day life but also long term.  In the short term, not getting enough sleep will result in grogginess, poor concentration, moodiness, and sometimes increased appetite to name a few. 

The list of long-term effects of sleep deprivation is long and growing, after all, most of the healing and recuperating our body needs to maintain its homeostasis is achieved through rest and sleep, therefore it should be no surprise when science again makes the connection between sleep and overall health.  We have all probably heard the expression “beauty sleep” which doesn’t come from nowhere either, getting a good night sleep keeps us young and healthy, and on the contrary, not getting enough sleep can age us, which may also speak to the difference between chronological age and biological age.  This again points to the importance of developing healthy sleep hygiene for you and your family.

The Stats

If you do experience some sort of sleep disturbance then you are in good company.  Although the stats around sleep disorders are varied and difficult to narrow down, sleep disturbance research is often connected to other health issues.  However, it is safe to say that approximately one-third of adults experience some form of insomnia, which is defined as difficulty falling asleep or difficulty staying asleep even when tired.   I even read a report that as many as 68% of Americans experience sleep difficultly at least once a week.  And with that said, it seems that just about every time you turn on the TV there is an ad about a sleep medication, or another sleep aid, be it a pillow or comforter or mattress… it’s a huge industry, which again points to the enormity of the problem for so many and furthermore, what people will do and spend to get the sleep they need.

What does Healthy Sleep Hygiene look like for people in different stages of life?

Children and teens both need about the same amount of sleep, roughly 9-10 hours, however, for children, they have an earlier natural bedtime, around 8 or 9 pm.  In teens, melatonin which is our body’s natural sleep-inducing hormone, increases much later, somewhere between the hours of 11 pm and 3 am.  This natural fluctuation in the sleep cycle for teens has long been an argument for adjusting the high school start time, which is often much earlier than that of elementary and middle schools and in conflict with what nature has intended, evident in our biology. And we wonder why there is such a challenge to get teens up, out of bed, and to school on time.

Typically adults need less sleep than children or teens, eight hours was the magical number health care professionals used as the recommended number of hours an adult should sleep to maintain good health.  I would say that anywhere from 7-9 hours is probably sufficient for most adults, some researchers say that less than 7 hours consistently, will contribute to some of the damaging effects a sleep-deprived life can have. A healthy adult sleep cycle consists of bedtime around 10 or 11 pm and waking up somewhere around 6 am.  Some health advocates recommend a simple rule of thumb, go to sleep with the sun and wake up with the sun.  Most of us will have a difficult time living by that simple rule, as the demands of modern life just don’t allow for it in most cases, however something good to keep in mind and work towards if at all possible.

Anytime is a good time to create new healthier habits, or refresh and dust off the old ones.  Tackling your sleep challenges is one way to create a healthier life that can have long-term positive effects for you and your family.  Sleep deprivation is linked to a variety of poor health outcomes, such as obesity, increased blood pressure, weakened immune system, being more accident-prone, poor concentration, low sex drive, and increased blood sugar levels which leads to increased risk of diabetes, to name a few.

The Myths

Some of the most common myths out there, which admittedly, I myself have even fallen for at one point are:

• As long as you get the sleep at some point, it’s all good, time of day has no impact on the quality of sleep.
• Alcohol will help you get a good night’s sleep.
• Sleeping in a warmer room is better for your sleep.
• The less movement during sleep, the better.
• Exercise at night will wake your brain up and prohibit good sleep.
• If you can sleep anywhere or anytime, you are a good sleeper.

I have heard it said many times, I may have even said it myself at one time, “I can sleep when I am dead”. I have not always understood the value of sleep and until I had some sleep challenges myself, I did little to ensure that I was getting the sleep I needed to live the healthy and active lifestyle I wanted.

There was a time I took sleep for granted, grabbing it wherever I could, on an overnight bus or flight… naps here and there in between classes, and then up most of the night with friends or working… As long as I got the sleep in there, somewhere.  I used to operate with the assumption that I could get through the week with minimal sleep and then make up for it on the weekends. Yes, I might have even abused my body a bit, and then, as is often the case I hit a rough patch in life and this experience shed some light on a few facts I was completely unaware of.

I went through a period of time, years even, where I experienced chronic sleep disturbance, trouble falling asleep, and even trouble staying asleep.  The haunting hour would consistently be 4 am… if I even managed to fall asleep, I would be up at 4 am consistently.  I would lie there exhausted but completely unable to fall back to sleep.  In this case, this was due to some underlying issues and challenges I was experiencing during this part of my life.  However, it taught me some pretty important lessons about sleep and since that time, I have found myself protecting my sleep.  I didn’t do this intentionally, it just happened as a part of the learning process I went through.  And now I can share those lessons with you.

Strategies for Healthy Sleep Hygiene

Below are some strategies I have implemented into my life to build healthy sleep hygiene.  I should also say that along with these strategies.  I came to a realization that I hated being tired and struggling through my workday.  Especially given the line of work that I am in, therapy and counseling.  There are times when I am sitting with a client for an hour or more and I need to be on my game.  If I appear sleepy or as if I am falling asleep, that does not bode well for the relationships I am working to establish with my clients and it is torture for me.  Therefore, I decided at some point along the way that I needed to create some structure for myself around this.

1. Plan ahead. I work backward, planning from the time I need to wake up, calculating 7-8 hours which for me is the amount of sleep I need on a nightly basis.  I think this can vary from person to person, but not many people can function well consistently and in a healthy manner with less than 7 hours a night.  If you want to figure out how much sleep you need a night, I recommend keeping a sleep journal or logging your hours of sleep along with some basic notes about your mood for the day, your energy level, and so on.  You can use my data tracker here, which can help you track this information.
2. Keep a sleepy head.  One of the biggest issues that I have found challenging for me is that if I wake up in the middle of the night, I will often have difficulty falling back to sleep.  So, if I need to wake up to use the bathroom or there is some other need to get up, I work hard to not allow my brain to fully awaken.  I try to maintain a state of sleepiness.  I have long been teased about this, as I will appear to be sleepwalking but, it has worked for me, maybe it could work for you too.  Email me if you would like more help on working this strategy into your life.   
3. Maintaining physical activity.  This is a basic but very important one.  When I am more active my body is more physically drained and I will be able to get the REMs that I need to feel recharged for the next day.  It also helps you to manage stress levels which can decrease your sleep quality.  I can always tell when I am going through a high-stress time, as my sleep is sure to be impacted, waking up earlier or difficulty falling asleep.
4. Eat well and whole foods.  Another basic one, but ever so important, I notice when I take better care of my body, vis a vis what I put into it, I sleep better, more soundly, and wake up with more energy and more refreshed ready to take on the day. 
5. Cooler sleeping environment.  During the winter this might be easier to achieve.  But just as I spoke of in the myths above, sleeping in a cooler room promotes a better night of sleep.  I try to make sure the thermostat is turned down at night, which might also save you a few pennies on your heating bill. 
6. Limit alcohol and meals as you get closer to your sleep hour.  Alcohol might allow you to fall asleep easier but it will diminish the quality of your sleep.  You are more likely to wake up groggy and tired, which might be chalked up to a little bit of a hangover but also related to the poor sleep quality the night before.  And similarly, your body needs a few hours to digest any meals, so eating anything too heavy before sleep can lead to indigestion which can also keep you up at night. 
7. Find your creature comforts. I hinted at the market on sleep aids above and it is huge for good reason, healthy sleep hygiene does require a good sleep environment.  Find yourself a good pillow and a mattress with a comforter that will support your posture as well as your body temperature.  A few years ago, I noticed that I was experiencing a lot of stress, waking up with a stiff neck more and more frequently, so I made a switch to this contoured pillow that I bought from Amazon.  My chiropractor gave me one of these years ago after a car accident and it stood out in my memory as a noteworthy strategy to not only sleep better but to have a happier spine (more on spine health in a later post, but here’s some more info on that in case you are interested).  This is the pillow I have been using for the past few years and I have to say it’s been great.  I haven’t had any stiffness at all since I made the switch to this pillow.  This picture is an actual link to check the pillow out for yourself on Amazon, please note that as an Amazon affiliate I will receive a small commission for any purchases using this link.    
8. Fresh air, when possible.  This applies more to the warmer months, but I am a big proponent of fresh air whenever possible.  It has to be stifling hot for me to shut all of the windows and put on the air conditioner.  Of course, you need to be comfortable and do what works for you, but many clients, including myself, find that fresh air increases sleep quality.  Have you ever noticed that on a day you have been active outside you sleep better?  Another reason I am a big advocate for camping and outdoor life, but that’s a post for a different day 🙂 

I hope you will be able to work on some of these strategies and bring them into your life for healthy sleep hygiene.  If you have other tips for a better night’s sleep, please message me or leave a comment here on upsidedownflan.com  I would love to hear from my readers.  And last but not least if you liked this article, hit the like button below and share it with your friends on social media.   

If you continue to struggle with your sleep hygiene and think that your sleep troubles might be linked to other mental health issues, it might be worth considering therapy.  I know the idea of working with a therapist can be a little scary and intimidating but I have teamed up with a group, Online-Therapy.com, that I think can help, they are online, 100% virtual, and naturally confidential.  And you can get 20% off when you use my affiliate link, for which I will receive a small commission.  Check them out and let me know how it goes.